Android: Enable alpha/beta testing APK releases for your app on the Google Play Store

A great feature I finally got to play with is the alpha/beta testing channel for selected users. Users wishing to take part of your beta must be part of either a Google Group or Google+ Community of your picking. You can set up a new group or community for each app if you wish.

The general idea is you add the group or community into a "list of testers" and it'll give participants of those groups special access to test builds.

Setting up your special access list

Firstly, set up a Group or Community. I chose to use a Google Group in this example (I may update instructions for G+ Community later). To create a Google Group or Google+ Community, log into Google Groups, click on "Create Group" and follow the instructions.

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Once created, go to Settings > Permissions > Basic permissions to select who can join.

Once you're done setting up the privacy and access to the group, copy the email/URL from said group.

Setting up your app

In the Play Store Dashboard:

  • For newly created apps, ensure the sections "APK", "Store Listing" and "Pricing & Distribution" don't have any marks against them by filling in the correct information, otherwise you can't publish. You can upload the APK last, it's just easier that way.
  • Under the APK tab, click on "Beta testing". Upload a new APK there. You can't publish without an APK in either production, beta or alpha.

 

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The APK section has multiple tabs for different stages of testing

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  • Change the app mode to "published". Changes will annoyingly take a few hours for the app to appear on the Play Store. You don't need to have a production APK ready, it'll publish fine with only alpha/beta but your app won't show up on searches.
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  • A new heading under the "Beta testing" tab should have appeared called "Current APK". You should have the option to "Manage list of testers".

 

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  • Click on "Manage list of testers".
  • Under "Add Google Groups or Google+ Communities", enter in the email address of your Google Group or Google+ Community.
  • Click add.
  • You should now see "Share the following link with your testers". Copy that link and save it somewhere.
  • When your app is finally visible on the Play Store (to you), share a message on the group/community board containing that testing link as either a topic on the group board or as a G+ post.
  • The user should click on the given link, giving them the option to opt into the beta.
  • Once they opt in, they can download the APK from the play store.

 

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Other than that, the update and beta testing procedure doesn't look much different to the standard process of installing from the Play Store. Happy testing!

 
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